General Igor Korobov, head of Russia’s spy agency behind Salisbury poisonings, dead

Mystery surrounds the death of Russia’s GRU intelligence agency chief whose spies are accused of carrying out the Salisbury poisonings.

General Igor Korobov, the head of the Russian military intelligence agency linked to a series of notorious operations abroad has died after a long illness.

The head of Russia’s GRU intelligence agency, whose spies are accused of carrying out the Salisbury poisonings, has died in Moscow.

General Igor Korobov, who was 62, was said to have had a “serious and long illness”. He could be replaced by a hardliner who was sanctioned by the United States for allegedly interfering with the 2016 presidential election.

The defence ministry said that General Korobov was a “true son of Russia”. No further details on the cause of his death were provided.

His predecessor, Igor Sergun, died in 2016 of reported heart problems at the age of 58. Unconfirmed reports suggest that Korobov collapsed at home in September after President Putin criticised him severely over the botched Salisbury operation.

Britain claims that two GRU agents tried to murder Sergei Skripal, a former Russian double agent, and his daughter, Yulia, with the novichok nerve agent in March.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Igor Korobov attending a reception at the Kremlin in Moscow.

Mr Putin was reported to be considering removing Korobov after a series of high-profile failures, including the expose by journalists of the identities of hundreds of GRU agents.

Igor Kostyukov, 57, a vice-admiral who was Mr Korobov’s deputy, has been named acting head of the GRU. Sources in the defence ministry said that Mr Putin was likely to appoint him as the permanent chief of the spy agency, the first navy official to hold the post. His appointment would give him control of all GRU agents, including its 25,000 special forces troops.

Mr Kostyukov appears to have been in charge of the day-to-day running of GRU operations for some time. He represented the agency at a ceremony in Moscow this month to honour the 100th anniversary of the organisation.

Mr Putin attended the celebration and lauded the “professionalism, courage and determination” of the agency. Korobov was absent.

Ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33.

Mr Kostyukov was reported to have overseen elements of Russia’s military operation in Syria. Mr Putin presented him last year with the Hero of Russia award. He was sanctioned by the United States in 2016 and again this year for “efforts to undermine democracy” by organising alleged cyberattacks before the election that brought President Trump to power.

Mr Kostyukov said last month in a rare public statement that long-term efforts by America to “undermine” Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, had increased the chances of a nuclear war.

“As a result of this dangerous US policy, the North Korean authorities, who have been driven to the corner, have achieved considerable progress in improving their missile and nuclear potential,” he said.

RT, the Russian state television network, said that General Korobov’s death had sent “Western media into a tailspin of conspiracy theories”.

THE TIMES